Hopes and Dreams

There is a new coordinator at Ella's school, and she is really putting forth an effort to get the parents involved.  Yesterday, she had little hand cut-outs at the Front Desk, with a request that each parent was to fill write out our "hopes and dreams" for our child.  The hands would all be compiled as part of an art project to be displayed in the hallway.

I have so many hopes and dreams for Ella--where would I begin?!  I thought about the standard responses--I hope that she knows how much I love her; I dream of her name being called at graduation; I hope that she's happy; I dream about how beautiful she will look on her wedding day.  There is nothing wrong with these hopes and dreams--and they are indeed what I hope and dream for her.  But I also wanted something...more.  Something more personal.  Something more lasting.  Something more deep.

And so the words written on my little hand were:

My hope is that you will have the chance to experience the depths of joy that I have experienced in being your mom.

That's my hope and dream for Ella--that she know and experience the joy that I have known in becoming her mother.  This isn't to say that her life will always be happy and easy--I know that she'll have valleys to go through.  But I hope that someday she will truly feel joy.

What are your hopes and dreams--for you, and your child?

Today's blessing is that my husband doesn't have to travel this week.  I'm not opposed to his little trips for work and his Army commitments, but I have to work late two times this week, and it makes things harder when I have to figure out child care arrangements for Ella.  So I'm just really glad that he's here to take care of her while I work.